Stanford researchers used an implantable brain-computer interface to decode the inner speech of patients with up to 74% accuracy. The study used a “mental password” to activate the decoding for privacy. (via thenewpaper.co)
(The potential for people with speech pathologies or impairments is enormous, but so is the risk posed by any security vulnerabilities. -- ed.)
euronews.com/next/2025/08/15/a…
A brain-computer chip can read people's minds with up to 74% accuracy
Researchers said the technology could one day help people who cannot speak communicate more easily.Gabriela Galvin (Euronews.com)
This entry was edited (1 week ago)
Scott Francis
in reply to Scott Francis • • •“In another test, the researchers set a password to prevent the BCI from decoding people’s inner speech unless they first thought of the code. The system recognised the password with around 99 per cent accuracy.”
(Note: this was not Neuralink.)
Aral Balkan
in reply to Scott Francis • • •The Insight Act of 2035 decreed that all newborns would have neuro chips implanted, the data being automatically synced to Big Thought. The chips were two-way, allowing advertising-supported life for those without the ability to afford higher life tiers.
Oh, no, wait, damn it, Black Mirror beat me to it again…
Lady Errant
in reply to Scott Francis • • •Scott Francis
in reply to Lady Errant • • •Aral Balkan
in reply to Scott Francis • • •Lady Errant
in reply to Aral Balkan • • •Mr. Teatime
in reply to Aral Balkan • • •Not just regulated but properly secured against people who don't care about regulations.
Also, what if your health insurance does not cover the cost but the price drops by half if the company can use all the data you produce "to improve their service"?
What if "participation" in this stuff becomes non-optional? Or, you know, compliance is done Microsoft-style, where they make a "reasonable" effort to obey the letter of the law unless there's a good business reason not to?
Or your employer requires you use the interface?
Nope. Those things need proper open-sourced e2e encryption, and even then they could probably be used for horrible things. Once your captor punishes you for your thoughts, you'll learn to control them in ways you didn't think possible.
Scott Francis
in reply to Mr. Teatime • • •Mr. Teatime
in reply to Scott Francis • • •@aral @errant
I'm actually scared they might already have been asked, and answered in the wrong way.
Ultimately, I wonder if the economic incentive is actually in helping people who otherwise have difficulties to communicate, or in human/machine interfaces and human communication that could benefit from not requiring body movements or spoken words because it's quiet and invisible, and could be triggered faster. That is: military stuff.
Scott Francis
in reply to Mr. Teatime • • •@Mr_Teatime @aral @errant “assume good intent, but be prepared for the other kind” has served me well over the years.
(But also there often isn’t huge profit to be made doing things that are primarily humanitarian.)
Aral Balkan
in reply to Scott Francis • • •CEO of speed reading app that shows one word at a time to me at conference dinner: So it turns out the app helps people with dyslexia read.
Me: That’s great, how do you make money?
CEO: We know what you’re reading.
Scott Francis
in reply to Aral Balkan • • •Lady Errant
in reply to Aral Balkan • • •Alison Wilder
in reply to Scott Francis • • •"Don't think about my mental password...don't think about my mental password...
Dammit."